UNT Health faculty member selected for highly selective National League for Nursing LEAD program
Darla Gruben, assistant professor and prelicensure BSN track coordinator at UNT Health
Fort Worth’s College of Nursing, has been selected for the 2026 Leadership Excellence
and Development program, a highly competitive and selective initiative of the National
League for Nursing Leadership Institute.
The LEAD program, founded in 2011, supports nurse educators and clinicians who are new to leadership roles or seeking to advance their leadership development. The yearlong program focuses on building leadership skills, identifying professional goals and strengthening the ability to lead within academic and health care settings.
“Participating in the NLN LEAD Institute has already been both professionally and personally meaningful,” Gruben, EdD, MSN, said. “It is strengthening my commitment to developing nurse educators and advancing learning environments that support student success at UNT Health.”
The 2026 cohort includes 26 nurse educators from colleges, universities and health care institutions nationwide, underscoring the program’s selectivity. Participants engage in structured leadership development designed to support both individual and institutional growth.
Gruben, a founding faculty member of the College of Nursing, has played a key role in launching the college’s curriculum and establishing faculty onboarding and mentoring programs. As an American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials Champion, she has led implementation of competency-based education through curriculum mapping and progression indicator development.
“Dr. Gruben’s selection to the NLN LEAD program reflects her exceptional leadership and national impact in nursing education,” said Dr. Cindy Weston, founding dean of the College of Nursing. “Her work in curriculum innovation and faculty development continues to strengthen our college and the nursing workforce.”
Gruben also serves as lead developer and principal investigator of the nationally recognized iTEACH microcredential, which prepares faculty and clinical preceptors in effective teaching, assessment and simulation. She regularly presents her work in faculty development and educational innovation at national and international conferences.
The LEAD program began with an in-person orientation Feb. 9-10 at the National League for Nursing headquarters in Washington, D.C. Additional program milestones include the Intensive Leadership Retreat scheduled for June 21-24 and the NLN Education Summit, set for Sept. 23-25 at the Washington Hilton.
“The NLN LEAD program is one of the most highly respected leadership development initiatives in nursing education,” said Beverly Malone, president and CEO of the National League for Nursing. “This will be another year of exceptional accomplishments, enhancing the professional and personal standing of this select group of nurse educators.”
A full list of 2026 LEAD participants is available at www.NLN.org.